Lately, I’ve been seeing YouTube videos claiming ChatGPT can act as Photoshop all on its own. The hosts make it look like you type in a prompt, sit back, and suddenly you’ve got the power of Adobe in a browser window. It’s slick. It’s dramatic. And it’s flat-out misleading.
Let’s get this straight: ChatGPT does not replace Photoshop. If you want Photoshop-level editing, you still need to own and run Photoshop. ChatGPT can help you use Photoshop more efficiently, but it cannot be Photoshop.
What ChatGPT Can Actually Do
Write Scripts for Photoshop
ChatGPT can generate Photoshop actions or scripts that automate repetitive tasks. But you still have to paste them into Photoshop and run them. No Photoshop? No scripts.
Basic Image Editing with DALL·E
Inside ChatGPT, there’s an image-editing tool (DALL·E). You can type “remove the tree” or “add a boat,” and it will regenerate part of the image. Fun for quick edits, but don’t mistake it for the precision of Photoshop.
Video Editing with Third-Party Tools
For video, some apps use a ChatGPT-style interface (like Eddie AI). You tell it “cut the intro” or “make this vertical,” and it does the work. Adobe Premiere is adding AI features too. But again—these are dedicated programs doing the editing, not ChatGPT itself.
Why the YouTube Videos Are Bogus
Here’s the part the video makers won’t tell you: they get paid when you watch the whole video. The longer you stay, the more YouTube pays them. That’s why they exaggerate.
So they frame their demos as if ChatGPT alone is doing everything—editing, layering, masking, exporting. In reality, the AI is either:
writing code for Photoshop to run,
using its own much simpler editing tools, or
acting as a middleman for software built by someone else.
The hype is a business model. Big claims keep you watching, and watching keeps the money flowing.
The Real Value
If you already know Photoshop, ChatGPT can save you time by automating boring parts of the workflow or brainstorming quick mockups. If you’re not a Photoshop user, it can give you playful edits that are “good enough” for casual use.
But let’s not kid ourselves: real design, restoration, or professional-grade editing still requires Photoshop—and the human skills to run it.
Bottom Line
Don’t buy into the hype. ChatGPT is powerful, but it’s not Photoshop. It’s a tool that can make your work faster, easier, or more experimental—but only if you already have the software and the skillset.
So next time you see a video titled “ChatGPT replaces Photoshop!”, remember this: the title isn’t about truth, it’s about keeping you glued to the end of the video. That’s how the creators get paid.
The truth is more interesting—and a lot more useful—than the hype.
Photoshop is not the only program to edit photos. Affinity Photo does everything most people need.